Stephen Tapilatu

Stephen Tapilatu (born 17 March 1972 in Groningen) is one of the most successful and spectacular ITF athletes of the modern era—a fighter whose explosive, dynamic sparring style and ability to move between different combat sports made him genuinely unique. In July 2022, he was promoted to 7th Dan Master (Sahyun). He comes from one of the most decorated Taekwon-Do families in the world. His father, Master Wijnand Tapilatu (8th Dan), was part of the iconic Dutch team that became World Champion in 1984 and founded Tapilatu's Sportcenter in Hoogkerk in 1994. His sister Bianca and cousins Django and Patiparu all won ITF titles. His sister Bianca is married to Slovenian ITF legend Tomaz Barada—an opponent Stephen himself faced in legendary bouts. He began training under his father at the age of eight. What followed was a career that made him one of the most feared fighters on the planet in not one but two styles of Taekwondo. He won the ITF World Championship in individual sparring in 1990 (Montreal) and defended his title in 1994 (Kuala Lumpur). He won European titles in 1990 and 1992. Then, in 1991, competing in the Olympic WT style, he won silver at the official WT World Championship in Athens—proving that his fighting ability transcended any single ruleset. In 1995 and 1996, he won the King of Taekwondo knockout tournament in Tokyo back to back. After his Taekwondo career, he moved into kickboxing and MMA, training with the elite team Golden Glory alongside K-1 legend Semmy Schilt and competing at the highest level from 1999 to 2008, winning the Dutch championship. From 2012 to 2022, he served as national coach of I.T.F. Nederland, guiding the team to numerous European and world medals. Together with British Master Johann de Silva, he travels the world on the Dragon Warrior Tour, delivering sparring masterclasses to the next generation.